Breakswitch.



1 G. E. BARSTO'W.

BREAKSWITCTI.

APPLICATION FILED 001.16.1909.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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BREAKSWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MIT-16,1909.

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r E. BARSTOW.

BREAKSWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1909.

1 9 1 9&69 1 7 Patented July 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- G. E.'BARSTOW.

" BREAKSWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. Is, 1909.

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Patented July 11, 1916.

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chosen a. cans-row, or LYNN, winssnonusnrrs, nssionon To THOMSON ELEDTRIC OIIEG GQMPAKY, QF LYNN,-lllIE-SSAQHUSETTS, A CORPORATIQN OF MAESSACHU BREAKSWITGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July. 3 .3 tutti.

Application filed Qctober 16, 1909. Serial No. 523,062.

. To all whom it may concern:

lii

Be it known that l, Gnoscn E. Bansrow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Breakswitches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of brealzswitches such as used in electrical circuits to control the flow of current.

My invention more particularly relates to that class ofswitches in which a pivotally mounted contact is brought into engagement with a coacting contact to complete the circuit, the main object being to bring the meeting surfaces of the two contacts into fiat and square contact with each other sinmltaneously and so that when. they are separated all parts of the meeting surfaces will break sinuiltaneously whereby burning away of the corners of the contacts is avoided, which latter condition exists when one of the contacts is movable in an arc of a circle and the other is fixed or movable in any other path than the same are as that traveled by the other Contact.

Another object is to prevent the contacts wiping each other when breaking and also to decrease the flash usually attendant with the operation of this form of switch.

A still further object is to provide simple means for connecting the movable contacts into the electrical circuit direct Without having to secure the circuit wires to movable parts or being compelled to conduct the current across sliding connections.

To these ends my invention consists broadly in. nair of pivotally mounted con tacts both adapted to turn about a common center whenmaking and breaking circuit whereby the meeting surfaces of the contacts will engage each other or be disen gagged from each other simultaneously over all. parts of the meeting faces.

My invention consists further in the novel parts, combinations ot'sparts and details of construction hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

structed in accordance with my invention,

the protecting cover beingshown in section. Fig. 2 1S3, plan view of the same, the cover is a front elevation of the blfittliSWllJfil'l. Fig. a is a side elevation of. the breakswitch,

- parts being broken away, and illustrates the position of the parts'when the circuit has been broken, the figure being shown on a reduced scale from the previous figures. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section, on a reduced scale, taken on the line A-li. Fig. 2. .Fig'. (3 is a similar section, on a reduced scale, taken on the line BB Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section, on a reduced scale, taken on the line CC Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated. by the arrow D.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the base and 2 indicates the protecting cover within r which the 'arious parts of the brealiswitch' are located, while '3 indicates a supplemental slate base upon which th various parts of the switch proper are mounted and which is mounted on the main base 1 in any suitable manner.

- 4. and 5 indicate a pair of preferably parallel contact arms or levers loosely fulcrumed'on a common pivot (5 secured to a bracket 7 rising from and secured to the base 3. V y

The contact arm 4 is provided with a. contact 8 secured to and projecting from the free end of the arm. the said contact being prc'l crably in the form of a plate or strip oi copper and suitably insulated from. the arm. The contactarm 5 is provided at its free end with an ol'l set 5 upon which the lower contact i) is mounted to bring it directly under thev upper contact IllQH'lllCl' 52, whereby when the contact arms 4 and 53 are brought together, the upper surface of the Contact .l and the lower surface of the nod tact 8 will simultaneously engage over their entire meeting suriuc the said lower contact 9 being also suitublv insulated from the contact arm 5. l I

A spring 10 compressed between the contact arm 5 and a fixed support tends to always force the contact 5 upward and to ward the contact 8. the upward movement of the contact 9 being" limited by a stop 11 secured to the contact arm engaging a wall of the bracket '7.

The contact arm 4 carrying the upper contact is preferal'ily norn'ial'ly held in raised or 'openposition by a pair OfSpI'lHgs l2. l3 acting on a. rcarwardly extending. arm 4 of being cut by a horizontal section. Fig. 3 the lever 4. through a lever 14 fulcrumed on a suitable boss secured to the base .1. The spring connects the arm 4 with an end of the lever at one side of the fulcrum and the spring 13 connects the end of the lever at the other side of the fulcrum with a fixed supportsuch as a pin 16 projecting from the bracket l. By this construction a quick break between the contacts 95 and 9 is obtained, the upward movement of the contact lever 4i and contact 8.being limited a stop 17 secured to the lever a engaging a wall of the bracket 7. i

The contacts 8 and 9 might be brought together by any desired means, this being accomplished in the present case a chain 18 secured to a pin 19 on the contact arm i- Which passes downward through openings in the bases 1 and 3 andover a sheave 20 mounted below the base 1 after whichthe chain is passed to any desired point, to be operated by'hand or otherwise. In the present case the contacts would be brought to- -gether by a pull on the chain. 18 and held down thereby and when desired to break the circuit, the chain is released and the springs 12, 13 force the contacts apart.

21, 22 indicate fixed terminal posts or brackets mounted on the supplementary base 3 and to each of which the ends of the circuit wires are secured. The circuit is carried from the terminal post 21 to the lower contact 9 by a flexible lead 23 composed of laminated copper strips secured at one end to the post 21 and at the other end to the contact 9, whereby movement of the contact is permitted. Similarly the circuit is carried from the terminal post 22 to the upper contact 8 by a lead of superimposed laminated copper strips 2 1 secured to the post 22 and to a bracket 25 secured and carried by the contact 8. i

By this construction when the contacts are brought together they will simultaneously engage all parts or the meeting surfaces of the two contacts and when the springs 12, 13 force the upper Contact away, the spring 10 forces the contact 9 to follow for a short distance, but in this movement the contact 9 travels in the same are as the Contact 8, so that when the final rupture takes place all the parts of the meeting surface of the contact 8 will leave the surface of the contact 9 at the same time.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the particular-form and construction shown and described but is capable of beingcarricd out in various modifications and arrangements without departing from the spirit thereo'i as defined in the appended claims.

ed to engage each other ll hat claim as my invention is:

1. in a brealrswitch, the combination of two cooperating contact arms. a common pivotal support for said arms, rigid flatsurfuced contacts adapted to em; each other and carried by the ends oi arms but insulated therch'om, flexible 'tolldllt'tfliS' pair of contact arms, a common pivotal support for said arms, cooperating rigid lat contacts carried by the end of each arm and insulated therefrom, the amine; surfaces oi said contacts being at right angles to the di rection of their mo ement, flexible eleerg i connections to paid. contacts, means normally separating said contacts, means tending to cause one contact arm to follow the z'uovcment of the other and press the contact; together and means limiting the movcn'icot of the last-named arm.

- 3. in a breakswitch, the combination of a. pair of contact arms, a common pivot on which said arms are mounted. a. Contact so cured to but insulated from the end of one of said arms. a, colporatimz contact secured to but insulated from the end of the other arm and of? set therefrom to bring it in line for engagement with the first-named Gi litact, a flexible electric connection secured to each of said contacts, means normally Sena rating said contacts, means tendii'l gto cause one contact arm to follow the movement of the other and press the contacts together and means limiting the movement or the last-named arm.

1. Th a brealrswitch, the combination of a pair of freely n'iounted contact arms, a common pivot on which said arms are mounted,

a contact carried by but insulated from the end of each arm. said contacts being adapt i cxiblc conductors secured to said contacts, a stop for one of said arms and a spring acting on said arn and adapted to follow up and press the contact of said arm against the coiipcrating; contact.

Signed at Lynn, in the county of and State of Massachusetts, this 14th day of Oct, A. D. 1909..

GEORGE BARSTOW.

Witnesses S. A. Nrcirons, G. N. N. CHADWELL. 

